Baby gender message candle

ABSTRACT

A device for containing, transforming or otherwise communicating a message intended to predict a future event, particularly the gender of a pregnant mother&#39;s baby, is disclosed. A method of building a composite candle is also disclosed. The invention also pertains to a method whereby the device or the contents or message of the device are selected by a third party based upon submitted information in regard to the mother and pregnancy. The information utilized in the selection of the message device may be furnished by any means, including the Internet or Internet website. The invention includes a method of selecting a candle containing a message predictive of the gender of a pregnant mother&#39;s child, based upon selected information. The message can be communicated by lighting the candle at an event such as a baby shower.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a changeable or consumabledevice and method for device selection. More specifically, the inventionpertains to a device such as a candle that changes appearance or revealsobjects placed within the interior as the candle is burned.

2. Description of Related Art

Numerous devices are known as means to obtain a prediction of futureevents. Examples include a board with the alphabet and other symbols anda planchette that is thought, when touched with the fingers, to move soas to spell telepathic messages, e.g., Ouija™ boards and tarot cards.Devices are also known for creating events of chance orunpredictability. Examples include playing cards and dice.

Various methods and compositions of candles are known, including themethods and compositions taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,544,302 and6,551,365 issued to Berger et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,694 issued toBell, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,501 issued to Pappas et al.; andU.S. Pat. No. 6,537,337 issued to Friars et al.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to candle containing,transforming or otherwise communicating a message intended to be atalisman or predictor of the gender of pregnant mother's baby. Theinvention also pertains to a method whereby the message of the candle isselected by a third party based upon information submitted by themother, friend or family.

The information used can utilize the date of the mother birth and dateof pregnancy conception. The date information can be supplied asspecified days of month and year of the 12-month calendar. The dateinformation can be converted into another calendar system, such as theChinese calendar system. The selection criteria can utilize analgorithm, whether deemed to be based upon folklore, scientificprincipals or upon physical data.

The information utilized in the selection of the candle is may befurnished by any means, including but not limited to the Internet or viaan Internet website. The provider of the information need not beinformed of the substance of the message to be conveyed by the candle.The message can be communicated by lighting the candle at an event suchas a baby shower.

The features and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, theprinciples of the invention. The scope of the invention however, is notlimited to this description. Other benefits of the invention will alsobecome apparent to those skilled in the art and such advantages andbenefits are included within the scope of this invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of theinvention. These drawings, together with the general description of theinvention given above and the detailed description of the preferredembodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of theinvention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the baby gender message candlesubject of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of the candle as it may besupplied in a container (partially cut away) and prior to igniting thecandle.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective cross sectional view of the candleshowing the placement of the second inner candle and the shared wick ofone embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the candle after having beenlit for sufficient time for the second inner candle communicating themessage to be observed.

FIG. 4 illustrates a container that may be used for holding the gendermessage candle of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an information and candle selection flow chartutilized in one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 6-6C illustrate sequential steps of building a baby gender messagecandle of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a candle predictive of twin births andgender.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a candle predictive of triplets andgender.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understandingthat the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification ofthe principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broadaspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. The abovegeneral description and the following detailed description are merelyillustrative of the subject invention and additional modes, advantagesand particulars of this invention will be readily suggested to thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a candle is built insideof a material that does not combust (or melt) in the heat of a normalcandle flame, i.e., a “non-combustible container” such as a glass jar.However, the invention can be practiced without a container. Thecontainer serves multiple functions, including as a non-combustibleholder for the candle while lit. The container also serves as a mold forthe forming of the first outer candle. The container also can serve as adisplay container and a protective shipping container.

In addition to glass, the container may be constructed of othermaterials, such as ceramic, metal, polymer or polymer compositematerial. The container may have a cover. The container may also serveas a jar, tin or similar container after the candle is used and the waxis consumed. The container may be a decorative object and can convey orcommunicate a commemorative message regarding the mother, baby or theevent.

In the following description of the baby gender message candleembodiment of the invention, the term consumable material is used todescribe combustible wax or paraffin. In the preferred embodiment, asecond candle is contained with the first candle. The second candle willbe of a different property that the first candle. Further in buildingthe candle, the, second candle will be hidden within the first candle ina manner that this second candle will become visible only after aportion of the first outer candle is used and the wax is melted andburned. The inner candle will communicate the message of the baby's (orbabies') gender. Other messages may also be communicated. This innercandle may be termed the communication or message component.

The candle of the preferred embodiment can be considered as a compositeof two or more candle components sharing one or more wicks. It may be afirst outer candle component covering all or a portion of a least onesecond inner candle component. In the preferred embodiment, the outercandle component has a lower melting point than the inner component.

It will be appreciated that the communication component of the inventionis not limited to a candle, but can be any other object that will becomeviable only after the outer consumable material is used. Thecommunication component is not required to be combustible. It may be anon combustible object containing written text, or be a object of adiscernable shape. It other embodiments, the message component may bethe absence of any object within the consumable material. In a simpleembodiment, the message is a “yes-no” and is communicated by thepresence or absence of an object. In another embodiment, multipleparticipants can utilize separate consumable materials, of which onlyone will contain an object. In this embodiment, the invention will besimilar to “drawing straws.”

The communication component may also be an object of value, such as acoin or ring. It will be appreciated that the invention includesmultiple variations and embodiments.

In the preferred embodiment, the invention is used to communicate to anexpectant mother the gender of her baby. In one variation of thisembodiment, the inner second candle may be of a pink or blue color,commonly associated with female and male. The outer first candle may bea neutral color that is opaque and thereby concealing the color of thesecond candle. In a variation of the preferred embodiment, the first andsecond candles share a common wick and thereby facilitate the continueduse of the device after the message has been disclosed. The outer candlecomponent may alternatively be of a known material that, with heated bythe candle flame, has reduced opacity, and thereby revealing the innercommunication or messaging component. In yet another embodiment an innercandle component is the messaging component and comprise a selectivelyand changeable color component that, when heated by the candle flame,changes to a differing color. In the preferred embodiment, as describedherein, the material changes to either a pink or blue color. Materialsthat have color changing properties are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.6,537,335, issued to IS Gary Friar and Marjorie McManus. Although thecolor change may be reversible, it is not required for the presentinvention.

The invention also includes a candle containing two or three innercandles or message objects. The outer candle may have a single ormultiple wick for the number of inner candles.

The invention also includes a method of making or building the candle.It will be appreciated that the device can have multiple components.These components can include the outer first candle, the inner secondcandle, and the container. It will also be appreciated that there may bemultiple and differing inner candles. Each candle, either the first orsecond or any combination thereof, may be of differing material. Thediffering materials are described or illustrated herein as havingdiffering properties. As already mentioned, one such property may becolor. Also the properties of candle composition may be varied such thatthe melting temperature or rate of combustion of the candle materialsdiffers. This discernable difference can be the mode of communication.Another property useful in communicating the message is the use ofmaterials that change color or become translucent with a change oftemperature. The inner material may be of a discernable shape and theshape, when revealed, communicates the message.

The invention also includes a method of whereby the expectant mother, orfriend, relative or co-worker of the expectant mother can have apredictive message device, such as but not limited to a message candle,made for an individual and the gender of the baby predicated by variousmethods or algorithms. In the preferred embodiment, the expectantmother, friend, etc., inputs information to the candle maker or sellervia the Internet, telephone or other means. In the preferred embodiment,the information includes the date of birth or age of the expectantmother (“Mom To Be™”) as well as the date of conception or delivery duedate. When only the delivery due date is known, the date of conception,if needed, may be extrapolated. In such circumstances, it may be usefulto evaluate prior deliveries of the mother.

In the preferred embodiment, device maker inputs the mother's date ofbirth and the date of conception into an algorithm based upon orutilizing a the Chinese calendar and known charts to select the genderof the baby. Charts or other sources utilizing this information, e.g.,Chinese baby selection charts, are known and available on the Internetand other sources. The selected or predicted gender may, but is notrequired to be communicated to the customer. In this manner, thepredicted gender can be maintained as a surprise, revealed only by theuse of the device. The predicted gender can be revealed by lighting andburning the candle at a baby shower or similar event.

FIG. 1 illustrates a candle of the preferred embodiment of theinvention. The candle 400 is illustrated as having a cylindrical shape.It may, however be of a different shape. The candle includes a wick 300.As will be described below, the candle 400 contains and inner component,i.e., the communication component (not shown). In the preferredembodiment, the communication component is a inner second candle. Thecommunication component is not visible or discernable from the top 410or side 405 or bottom 420 of the candle. Also illustrated is the centeraxis 603 of the candle.

FIG. 1A illustrates the preferred embodiment wherein the candle 400 iscontained with a container 600 having a bottom 620, inner bottom surface602, inner side surface 605 and open top 615 surrounded by the top edge610 of the container and exposing the top surface 410 of the candle 400.The container 650 is made of non-combustible material 600 such as glass.The glass may be clear and may also be used for other purposes after thecandle is burned or removed. The candle wick 300 extends from above thetop 410 of the candle to at or near the closed inside bottom 620 sectionof the container. There may also be a lid or cover (not shown) for thecontainer.

FIG. 2 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention wherein theouter first candle 400 contains an inner second candle 200 (alsosometimes described as inner candle component). Although the innersecond candle 200 is shown to be cylindrically shaped, it is notrequired to be of this shape. The inner candle has a bottom 220, atleast one side 205 and a top 210. The wick 300 extends from above thetop 410 of the first candle 400 through the top 210 of the second candle200 and extends through the bottom 220 of the second candle to at ornear the bottom 420 of the first candle. In the embodiment illustratedin FIG. 2, the wick 300 also constitutes the axis of orientation of boththe first 400 and second 200 candles. This axis of orientation isillustrated in FIG. 1 discussed above.

FIG. 3 illustrates the invention after the candle wick 300 has been litand the combustible material, e.g., wax or paraffin, of the outer firstcandle 400 consumed or used, i.e., melted or burned away by the heat ofthe flame 500 fueled at least in part by the combustible material. Theconsumption of the outer first candle consumable material has loweredthe top surface 410 of the first candle sufficient to reveal the topsurface 210 of the inner candle 200. The properties of the first andsecond candles differ in a discernable or visual manner so that thepredictive message, gender of the baby, is communicated. The outercandle, in the preferred embodiment has a lower melting temperature thanthe inner candle. This facilitates the separate candle components to bevisibly distinct. In the preferred embodiment, the inner 200 candle iseither pink or blue. In an alternate embodiment, the heat of the candleflame now in proximity to the top 210 of the inner candle may cause atleast a portion of the inner candle 200 to change to either a pink orblue color.

FIG. 4 illustrates the empty container 600 used in the preferredembodiment. The container serves as the candle mold. FIG. 4 illustratesthe container having a cylindrical shape. However other shapes can beused. The container illustrated has cylindrically shaped side 605 and aclosed bottom 620. The top of the container is open or may have aremoveable covering, thereby “openable” and the top 610 of the containerside is shown.

FIG. 5 illustrates the method of the preferred embodiment wherein thecustomer, e.g. the expectant mother, friend, relative, co-worker, etc.,contacts an Internet web site. Information inputted by the customer caninclude address, shipping, delivery information, as well as paymentinformation such as credit card information. The address, delivery orshipping or pickup information or date may be used to convey the device,such as the messaging candle or Mom-To-Be™ candle of the subjectinvention by the candle maker or seller. In conjunction with theinvention, various other goods or services may be provided via anInternet site.

To obtain the messaging candle predictive of the expectant mother'sbaby, the customer is asked for the mother's birth date 1, if theinformation is supplied, the customer is then prompted to input the dateof conception 2 or alternatively, the delivery date or “due date” 3. Inthe preferred embodiment, the gender of the baby is calculated orselected 4. It will be appreciated that various predictive methods oralgorithm may be used for the selection. It will also be appreciatedthat predictions may be derived for other events using differing andvarious criteria and information similarly inputted via a similarInternet site.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the customer can be promptedwhether he/she wants to know the predicted or calculated gender 5. Ifthe customer chooses to be informed of the predicted gender, he/she willbe asked to provide an address 6, e.g., an email address for receivingthe information, or alternatively, may be informed at that time. Thecustomer is also prompted 7 to provide a delivery address for thecandle. If required information can not be supplied, the customer may bedirected 8 to other options, e.g., gift store screen 9 or a store “checkout” or store screen or exit 10 the Internet site.

While specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerousmodifications are possible without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope ofthe accompanying claims.

FIG. 6 illustrates a method of making the messaging candle. A container650 is comprised of a material 600 that is not thermoplastic orcombustible at the temperature of the making process. The inside surface602 of closed bottom 620 of the container 650 is first filled with aportion of consumable material 400, i.e., the combustible paraffin orwax of the outer first candle. The wax, having thermoplastic properties(melting and reduced viscosity at elevated temperature and gelling intoa solid phase at lowered temperatures), may be heated and poured (vectorarrow 900) into open top 615 of the container. Alternatively, a quantityof the thermoplastic consumable material can be placed in the containerand the container and contents then heated above the gel temperature ofthe material. This alternate method may provide facilitate a batchmaking process for the beginning steps of the device building.

In the candle wick 300 may be placed in a substantially centeredlocation into the top surface 410 of the viscous wax 400 covering theinside surface 602 of the closed bottom 620 of the container and aportion of the inside surface 605 of the container side 611. The wickwill extend above the top surface 410 of the wax that will form theouter first candle. The wick may extend above the open top portion 615and top 610 side wall 611 of the container. It will be appreciated thatthis extended length may facilitate the building of the device asdescribed in the following paragraphs.

FIG. 6A illustrates a method for inserting the inner second candle 200.The second candle as illustrated has a cylindrical shape with a radiusless than the radius of the interior cylindrical shape of the container.The inner second candle 200 has a top surface 210, at least one side 205and a bottom surface 220. The second candle 200 can be formed in aseparate stage in a manner that provides a substantially central annulus(not shown) that extends along the approximate axial orientation of thecylinder shape and than can receive the portion of the candle wick 300extending above the top surface 410 of the wax covering the containerbottom. It will be appreciated that the manner of forming the secondcandle and the method of building the first and second candle may varyin ways familiar to persons skilled in the art. For example, the innercandle can contain a wick having sufficient length to extend above theadded layer of the first outer candle.

The bottom 220 of the second candle 200 is placed on the top surface 410of the consumable material, e.g. gelled (solid phase) or highly viscouswax of the first candle component 400, covering the inside bottomsurface 602 of the closed bottom 620 of the container 650. It will beappreciated that the container 650 may serve as a mold forming thebottom 420 and sides (405 in FIG. 1) outer first candle that will coverthe inner second candle 200 as will be shown in the followingparagraphs. The other elements of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6A,6B and 6C are the same as elements in FIG. 6 and described above.

It will be appreciated that the inner second candle may have differingproperties, e.g. color, melting temperature, hardness composition, etc.that the outer first candle. Either one or both of the first or secondcandles may contain other objects. These objects may be non combustible,such as glittering metal flakes, glass or ceramic objects or may bearomatic fragrances. In the preferred embodiment of the invention usedto predict the gender of the expectant mothers baby, the candle may havean aromatic baby powder fragrance that is emitted when the candle islit.

FIG. 6B illustrates the continued building steps of the preferredembodiment of the invention. Additional melted liquid phase wax formingthe outer first candle may be poured through the open top 615 into thecontainer 650 as shown by vector arrow 900. In an alternate method, thesecond candle may be covered with a non thermo plastic material ormaterial that melts only at temperature higher that than the melttemperature of the outer candle material. The alternate method may allowpieces of the outer wax to be placed in the container, already partiallyfiled with the outer candle wax and the inner second candle, while in asolid phase, and then heating the container and contents to atemperature to melt the outer first candle wax.

The addition of outer first candle 400 wax (FIG. 6C) raises the level ofthe top surface 410 and continues covering or filling the space betweenthe inner candle side 205 and the side 605 of the container 650. Asadditional material forming the outer candle 400 is added, the top 410will rise above the top 210 of the inner second candle 200. The topsurface, of course will not rise above the top 610 of the container 600sides and a portion of the wick 300 will remain exposed above the top410 surface.

The device can be remove from the container for separate use or retainedand conveyed to the customer in the container. The shape and size of thecontainer can be varied. The container described herein may be areusable mold, a reusable decorative container or a disposable materialsuch as a peel away mold. It can be used only for the safe utilizationof the candle or retained for decorative purposes.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the invention wherein there are multiple innercandles 200A 200B 200C within the outer candle 400 material. There arealso multiple wicks 300A 300B 300C. This embodiment can be utilized whenmultiple births are expected. The candles can be made to order orpurchased with an existing predictive configuration.

If not otherwise stated herein, it may be assumed that all componentsand or processes describe herein may, if appropriate, be considered tobe interchangeable with similar components or processes, unless anexpress indication is made to the contrary. Terminology used herein isfor the purpose of description and not for the purpose of limitation.Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose ofillustration, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for thatpurpose and that numerous modifications, alterations and changes can bemade therein by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention except it may be limited to theclaims. All change which comes within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

1. A device comprising: a. a first outer candle; b. at least one secondinner candle wherein the second inner candle is not visible until aportion of the first outer candle is consumed; and c. the second candleis selected to signify the gender of a baby.
 2. The invention of claim 1wherein the first candle and the second candle are different colors. 3.The invention of claim 1 wherein the first candle and second candle havedifferent melting temperatures.
 4. The invention of claim 3 wherein thefirst candle has a lower melting temperature than the second candle. 5.The invention of claim 1 wherein the second candle changes color inresponse to heat of a candle flame.
 6. The invention of claim 1 furthercomprising a fragrance.
 7. The invention of claim 1 wherein the firstand second candles are inside a non combustible container.
 8. Theinvention of claim 6 further comprising a container having a removablecover.
 9. The invention of claim 6 wherein the container of a materialselected from a group consisting of glass, ceramic, metal, polymer andpolymer composite.
 10. The invention of claim 1 wherein the color of thesecond candle is selected to signify the gender of a baby.
 11. Theinvention of claim 9 wherein the color of the second candle is selectedfrom a group consisting of blue and pink.
 12. The invention of claim 10wherein the color of the second candle is selected using mother's dateof birth and the baby's date of conception.
 13. A candle comprising: a.a first outer candle component; b. a second inner candle componentwithin the first candle wherein the second candle is i. not visibleuntil a portion of the first outer candle is consumed, ii. the color iseither blue or pink and selected upon a predicted gender of a baby, andc. a wick oriented through both the first and second candle components.14. A candle comprising: a. a non combustible container having at leastone side, a bottom and an open or openable top; b. a wick having a firstend located proximate to the container bottom and a second end extendingthrough both an inner candle component and an outer candle component insubstantially axial orientation to the container toward the containertop; c. the outer candle component covers at least the top of the innercandle component such that inner candle component is not visible throughthe container and outer candle component until at least a portion of thefirst candle component is consumed; and d. the inner candle componentcontains at least one color selected from a group consisting of blue andpink.
 15. The invention of claim 13 further comprising the selection ofthe inner candle component based upon the baby's gender.
 16. Theinvention of claim 13 wherein the color of the inner candle component ispredictive of the baby's gender.
 17. The invention of claim 13 whereinthe gender is predicted based upon an algorithm.
 18. The invention ofclaim 13 wherein the color of the inner candle component is selectedbased upon the age of the pregnant mother and the date of conception.19. The invention of claim 17 using a Chinese baby gender predictionchart.
 20. The invention of claim 13 wherein the container is selectedfrom a group consisting of metal, glass, ceramic, pottery, polymer andpolymer composite.
 21. A candle device comprising: a. a non combustiblecontainer having at least one side, a bottom and an open or openabletop; b. at least one inner candle component located in the container andhaving a bottom surface and a top surface; c. an outer candle componentcovering at least the top of the inner candle component such that innercandle component is not visible through the container and outer candlecomponent until at least a portion of the first candle component isconsumed; and c. at least one wick having a first end located proximateto the container bottom and a second end extending in substantiallylinear orientation through both the inner candle component and outercandle component.
 22. The invention of claim 20 further comprising atleast one the inner candle component containing at least one colorselected from a group consisting of blue and pink.
 23. A method ofselecting a device predicting and communicating the gender of at leastone baby comprising a. receiving information comprising the mother'sdate of birth and the date of the conception; b. using an chart topredict gender; c. making a candle having an inner component that willvisible as blue or pink when the candle is burned; d. providing thecandle.
 24. The method of claim 22 further comprising using a Chinesebaby gender selection chart to select the inner component.
 25. Themethod of claim 23 further comprising an Internet website to receiveinformation.
 26. A method of selecting a device predicting andcommunicating the gender of at least one baby comprising a. receivinginformation comprising the mother's date of birth and the date of theconception; b. using an algorithm to predict gender; c. making a candlehaving an inner component that will visible as blue or pink when thecandle is burned; and d. providing the candle.
 27. A method of selectinga device predicting and communicating the gender of at least one babycomprising a. receiving information comprising the mother's date ofbirth and the date of the conception; b. using an chart to predictgender; c. making a candle having an inner component that will becomevisible when the candle is burned and communicate the predicate genderof the baby; and d. providing the candle.
 28. The method of claim 27wherein the inner component is non-combustible.
 29. The method of claim27 wherein the inner component becomes visible in a color selected froma group consisting of pink and blue.
 30. The device communicating thepredicted gender of a baby comprising a candle containing an object thatcommunicates the predicated gender that becomes visible only after aportion of the candle is lighted and consumed.